NEONAX is an interventional, prospective, randomized, controlled, open label, two sided survival phase II studies against a fixed survival probability, with an unconnected analysis of the results in both experimental arms. Determining the impact of 2 cycles of Perioperative nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine followed by surgery and 4 cycles of adjuvant nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine or 6 cycles of adjuvant nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine on the Disease free survival (DFS) rate at 18 months post randomization
The planned trial will enable us to address the following issues: * Identification of patients who benefit from surgery. Tumor progress during intensified Perioperative chemotherapy is likely to indicate a particularly poor prognosis suggesting that these patients would not have benefitted from immediate surgery. * Assess tumor response/downsizing using nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine also at the molecular level * Can we achieve a better systemic tumor control or reduce the metastatic spread using nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine compared to adjuvant gemcitabine * Examining the effect of a more efficacious chemotherapy regimen (nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine) in the adjuvant setting * Defining the impact of a perioperative or adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel on DFS and 3-year Overall survival (OS) Histopathological tumor regression will be evaluated in addition to tumor size measurement according to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST). We will establish a histopathological tumor regression score to evaluate the efficacy of the neoadjuvant treatment. For this score we will examine tumor core biopsies obtained prior to neoadjuvant treatment and histological tumor specimen after surgery in both arms. To reliably determine R0 resections, the resected specimen will be prepared for pathology in a defined manner according to the procedure set out in the German S3 guidelines for pancreatic cancer. This trial provides the unique opportunity in pancreatic cancer to obtain material prior to and after surgery for biomarker analysis and correlation with outcome. We will perform pharmacogenomic candidate gene analysis of hENT1 (human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1), CDA (cell differentiation agent), DCK (Desoxycytidin-Kinase) and 5´nucleotidase in both arms.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
127
2 cycles of nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine (nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2, gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on day 1, 8 and 15 of an 28 day-cycles) followed by 3 weeks of rest and subsequent tumor surgery. Starting within 12 weeks after surgery adjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine (nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2, gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on day 1, 8 and 15 of an 28 day-cycles)
Tumor surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with 6 cycles of nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine (nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2, gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on day 1, 8 and 15 of an 28 day-cycles, starting within 12 weeks after surgery)
University of Ulm, Dept. of Internal Medicine I
Ulm, Germany
Time to Disease free survival (DFS)
To improve the DFS rate at 18 months in at least one arm to≥ 55%
Time frame: 18 months after randomization
Safety
• Safety of nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting
Time frame: 57 months
morbidity and mortality
• pre- and postoperative morbidity and mortality in both studies
Time frame: 7 years
toxicity
• Dropout rate due to toxicity in the neoadjuvant study
Time frame: 57 months
Disease progression
• Disease progression during neoadjuvant therapy
Time frame: 7 years
resection rate
• R0 and R1 resection rate in both groups as assessed according to the German S3 guidelines
Time frame: 53 months
Tumor response
• Tumor response according to RECIST v1.1; histopathological regression based on a predefined pathological handling of the resected specimen in the perioperative study
Time frame: 57 months
Correlation of tumor regression and R0 resection
• Correlation of tumor regression and R0 resection rate with response according to RECIST v1.1 in the perioperative study
Time frame: 57 months
Overall survival
• Overall survival in both studies
Time frame: 7 years
tumor recurrence
• First site of tumor recurrence in both studies
Time frame: 7 years
quality of life
• Explorative analysis of health related quality of life in both studies
Time frame: 57 months
pharmacogenomic markers, tumor-biomarkers and molecular analyses
• Correlation of DFS, OS and tumor regression with pharmacogenomic markers, tumor-biomarkers and molecular analyses in both studies
Time frame: 57 months
Safety
• Assessment of safety
Time frame: 57 months
Tumor response
To assess tumor response using the imaging data (CT scans, MRI-scans) obtained during the trial
Time frame: 66 months
Tumor recurrence
To assess tumor recurrence using the imaging data (CT scans, MRI-scans) obtained during the trial
Time frame: 66 months
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